HILTON HEAD, S.C. - LSU sophomore Madelene Sagstrom and the ever improving LSU women's golf team put itself right in the thick of things after the first round of the Darius Rucker Intercollegiate Friday at the Long Cove Club.

The 35th-ranked Lady Tigers played steady golf throughout and was able to post a round of 11-over par 295 on the par 71, 6,211 layout to stand in a tie for second place with North Carolina, two shots behind the leader, Arkansas, at 9-over 293. SEC teams Vanderbilt (296), Alabama and Tennessee (tied with Arizona State at 297) follow LSU with the second round set for Saturday.

Sagstrom, ranked 31st in the nation, rallied from a bogey on the second hole and a double bogey on the third hole and 3-over after three holes to rally to shoot even par 71. Sagstrom posted birdies on the par 3 eighth hole and then came back with back-to-back birdies on the par four 12th and par three 13th to get back to even and a tie for second in the individual competition.

Emma Lavy of Arkansas is the individual leader after a 3-under par 68, while Sagstrom is tied with Gabriela Lopez of Arkansas and Casey Grice of North Carolina, who also shot even par 71.

The Lady Tigers counted 3-over par rounds of 74 from freshman Nadine Dreher and junior Ali Lucas and a 5-over 76 from Lindsay Gahm. Dreher and Lucas are in a tie for 18th place after the opening round.

"The girls played steady and played smart," said LSU Coach Karen Bahnsen. "This is a very difficult course if you get off line. They had a great attitude and didn't let a mistake bother them at all. We just need to go out Saturday and continue what we started."

The second round of the tournament begins at 7:30 a.m. with the final wave of LSU, North Carolina and Arkansas going off the first tee at 9 a.m. CST.

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